Emily Maria Spaford Scott

If you’ve ever doodled on a napkin while waiting for your coffee to cool, you’d recognize Emily Maria Scott’s habit of painting still lifes with whatever’s nearby. She liked to layer watercolor so thick it almost looked like frosting, then top it with gouache just to watch the colors pop. Her Yellow Roses, a small sheet of paper that somehow holds a whole bouquet, is the kind of thing you’d find tucked inside a forgotten sketchbook. Drop by the Yale University Art Gallery and ask for it—they’ve got it.